Essential Email List Building Tools
You Need These Tools to Grow Your List
You’re just getting started with growing your own email list. You might be feeling a little overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. I understand! That’s something I’ve done before. Start with the tools you’ll need to grow your email list. Then worry about tactics and techniques, traffic, etc. There are lots to be concerned with, and plenty of time later to deal with them.
Is there any point in worrying about the rest of the stuff if you don’t have the correct tools and setup? So, in this quick guide, I’m going to tell it like it is. You’ll know all the tools you need to get started.
Note: for congruent training on email lists, go to our Etsy Store SmallBizToolsTactics ! You will find PDFs, videos, spreadsheets … all formats supporting your training in email list mastery!
Autoresponder Service is the first list-building tool
A good autoresponder service is the first instrument you should obtain. This is where you’ll keep track of and store all of the people’s email addresses who join your mailing list. It will enable you to manage their email addresses, send automated follow-up emails, and send an email to your list(s) at any time.
Notice the footnote: I just mentioned a list (s). That’s because, as your firm grows, you’ll most likely have separate email lists for different purposes. Or maybe not. But for the time being, just concentrate on that one list.
I’d like to issue a strong cautionary note here, as your email list will be a highly significant and necessary tool in your organization. Avoid using the cheapest or even free autoresponder service. Look for one that has the features you require while also being dependable. Also, do not attempt to use software that you have installed on your own domain name. There’s a lot of management that goes into utilizing them, and if you’re new to it, you can find yourself with a large list of people who never see your emails because you didn’t handle things properly.
Recommendation?
Getresponse is my top autoresponder service recommendation. They’ve been around for decades, are simple to use, provide numerous lessons on how to utilize their service, and have a fantastic support crew to assist you.
This is a tool that should not be overlooked! It’s a necessary tool. It’s what will make you the most money, and it’s critical that you start with the proper one from the start, because switching your email lists to a new provider isn’t an option, and even if it is, it may be a difficult process that could result in you losing a significant portion of your list.
In our Resources / Tools section, you will find detailed reviews of the most popular autoresponders. Check it out!
The second list-building tool is a website
WordPress is the industry standard for small business websites. Here is a great article at TechJury.net that provides all kinds of stats about how WordPress and its ecommerce version Woocommerce are the way to go for most newbies to the industry.
I’ll spare you the in-depth stats analysis, but suffice to say that : 70 million new blog posts pop up on WPress sites every month, over 500 new WPress sites are built daily, and WPress accounts for 62 % of CMS (Content Management Systems) websites. CMS basically means the building websites for the un-experts, like us. You no longer have to be an expert to build a website thanks to platforms like WordPress. The next closest competitor is Shopify. So there you go. Be prepared to build a WordPress site. Period.
Optin Form Code
You can build your email list in a variety of ways. Basically, you can utilize the opt-in form code from your autoresponder service to grow your list anyplace you can copy and paste it. If you don’t put your opt-in forms on your own website, you’re at the mercy of the owners of the website where you’re putting them. As a result, you’ll need your own website with a page or pages that allow you to construct lead capture pages.
Lead Capture Pages
Lead capture pages contain your opt-in form as well as any text that persuades the visitor to give you their name and/or email address. There are a variety of strategies for this, and they are often referred to by different names (such as squeeze pages), but as I previously stated. Concentrate on your initial list, and I propose creating a lead capture page for it.
There are a number of programs available that will allow you to create lead capture sites for a monthly price. There are numerous tools that allow you to pay a one-time cost, and I strongly advise you to do so in order to save money.
Recommendation?
Thrive Architect is a fantastic tool for creating lead capture sites. It’s a WordPress plugin that provides many lead capture page templates that you can quickly customize using their drag-and-drop interface.
This is the program that I recommend, but you can do your own research to locate the best lead capture page builders for your requirements. My recommendation is to pick one and stay with it. “Tool hopping” isn’t necessary. Once you’ve found something that works, don’t stray from it. Practice to become expert in it; that will save you a ton of time and money.
Themes
A WordPress theme is a structure for your website functionality. Read more about themes here. We have reviews on themes here. Check it out and see what works best for you. Of course, how are you supposed to pick a theme that would work best for your type of website?
Recommendation?
I can tell you this. The faster your website, the better. Nothing loses visitors like a slow-loading website. Generate Press is fast, so is Standard Pro. You can’t wrong with either one.
Opt-in Form Tool is the third list-building tool
You may now create your email list in a variety of methods other than through a lead capture website. Pop-ups, slide-in forms, in-content forms, chat bots and other interactive content, content locks, tool bars, and so on are all possibilities. You’ll want to look for a tool that can accomplish a lot of things.
Recommendation?
Thrive Leads, for example, allows you to place opt-in forms on various places of your blog and website pages. You may use it to make pop-ups to grow your list, in-content forms in your blog, opt-in forms for your blog’s sidebar, and much more. It’s a product that can accomplish a lot, and it’s exactly what you need if you’re looking for an opt-in tool that can help you grow your email list(s) in many ways.
Tracking Tools are the fourth list-building tool
A blog tracking tool is a must-have for any blogger or website owner. It allows you to see how your website or blog is performing and what you can do to improve it. The most popular tracking tools are Google Analytics and StatCounter. Both are easy to use and offer a lot of features.
To learn how to use a tracking tool, you first need to create an account with the provider. Then, add the code provided by the provider to your website or blog. This will allow the tool to track your website’s traffic. After that, you can view your data and make changes based on what you learn.
Another important aspect of all of this is keeping track of your email list-building activities. You should keep track of not only your advertising, but also your email open rates, click-through rates, opt-in forms, and lead capture page data, among other things.
You can track your email open rates and click-through rates with a solid autoresponder provider, but you’ll need something else to track other metrics.
Recommendation?
Many things outside of your emails that go hand in hand with your list building efforts may be tracked with tools like ClickMagic and/or Google Analytics, so make sure you have the tool you need to track everything so you can see what is and isn’t working.
All you need to get started are the tools I’ve mentioned. You may find that you need more tools as your list expands, as you gain more knowledge and learn more strategies and techniques, but for now, this will suffice.
Take Action !!
Do your homework and explore your possibilities, but remember what I mentioned earlier. Avoid being a “tool hopper.” Don’t go out and buy a bunch of tools you don’t need right now or may never need or use. You will squander both time and money. Your first focus should be on getting started and growing your email list. So choose a reputable autoresponder service, create your first lead page, and drive traffic to it. Next, start posting opt-in forms anywhere you can on your site (don’t go overboard, or you’ll upset your visitors), and before you know it, you’ll have a list-building engine that develops your email list for you.
Note: for congruent training on email lists, go to our Etsy Store SmallBizToolsTactics ! You will find PDFs, videos, spreadsheets … all formats supporting your training in email list mastery!